Former head of Jersey City parking authority sues Mayor Jerramiah Healy over firing

JERSEY CITY -- The former head of the Jersey City Parking Authority has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Jerramiah Healy claiming he was fired because he refused to stop issuing tickets to give Healy an advantage during his re-election campaign earlier this year, a report in the Jersey Journal said.

Jersey Journal file photoJersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy The suit filed by Mark Russ earlier this month claims Healy told Russ on Jan. 29 to stop giving out tickets after 6 p.m. to get in favor with voters for the May 2009 elections, according to the report. The suit notes that the JCPA is an autonomous agency, and any firings should be made by the agency's Board of Commissioners, but Russ alleges that Healy was personally involved in his firing, the report said. Healy told the newspaper he was just responding to complaints from residents.